Vol 4 Chapter 3 (1/2)
Hard work always creates so
Not that it will necessarily connect to results
1
”That Kunagisa brat” shi+to--kun said toto himself ” What in the world is she? What in the world kind of person is she?”
”Hmm?” It took me a bit of time to determine that those words were intended for me, and I responded one tempo late ” Not a brat - she is nineteen after all”
” I see”
Nor back there, but shi+to-kun simply nodded powerlessly
The s room on the fourth floor of the seventh ward shi+to-kun and I were sitting across from each other Neither of us could be considered s time That said, time kills itself like this, so the expressionto ti killed The theory is co this situation
I glanced down the hall I focusedthe wall, as if I were peeking through to the other side Of course, it was quite the distance, and I did not possess powers of clairvoyance like a fortune-teller on so place on the other side That Dead Blue and Green Green Green were having some sort of conversation
What they were talking about I could not fathom I had no clue
” Utsurigi Gaisuke”
I mumbled with a low, heavy voice
His age was probably around thirty I could not detere was probably around that He had a bit of a light, free-spirited air around hih for lance was enough for me to understand that he was a person on the other side of a thick, long line somewhere
Like a red contractor, like a blue savant
”Hey, listen Listen, you,” shi+to-kun said with a bit isa, what in the world is she? I', so tell me”
” Why do you think I would know?”
”Of course you do You're her lover, aren't you?” shi+to-kun said, leaning closer shi+to-kun said, leaning closer “Soi-san on equal ter -- it's the first time I've seen it happen No one here -- not even the professor -- can do that That's why, even though they're both ex-members of Cluster”
”That is not quite right,” I fired a correcting arrow ”Kunagisa To, Kunagisa had a higher class She was the leader of Team, after all”
” Really?”
”Really Well, I still only half-believe it though No, thirty-percent-believe it, I think,” I shrugged self-deprecatingly ”Totally, certainly like nonsense”
”I can't believe it,” said shi+to-kun, as he leaned back into the sofa And then, ”Then what in the world is she?” he asked for the third time
”Why do you think I would know?” I answered again ”Do you think I would know that? shi+to-kun”
” You don't know?”
I did not answer I changed my answer to confirm that with no answer
Indeed, I do not know I do not know that Kunagisa Toi Gaisuke on equal tererous-sounding alias, Dead Blue Relative to that, I could say that I would knowfor the first time In that case, I would at least be able to deter to a person
When it comes to Dead Blue -- I would not be so sure
””
Who had I been watching this whole time?
No, wrong, that is not the proble this whole ti to be called nonsense, this would be it Calling this aby her side, how much had I missed? No, was there really any point, any instant at all that I had truly, actually been by her side? The way that Utsurigi had once been, to truly be by Kunagisa's side -- would I ever be able to do that?
I understood
The identity of the ei, or rather, to the members of Team It was not an emotion as first-class as jealousy or ad of inferiority that reached repulsive levels when it ca level of despair atlevel of disappointment at my own self
”Hey, you okay?”
shi+to-kun's call snappedat me with a worried expression Hn, I shook ht”
”It is nothing”
”You sure? You looked really sad, you know”
I must have had an incredibly mournful expression to have incurred the worry of this shi+to-kun It ine itof betrayal certainly felt like it would cause such a look
”Betrayal truly, the worst I am”
I muttered, and shook my head once more I then slapped ht I shall fret and worry a bit later For now, for now still, letas the situation wants to sweep me Consciously or subconsciously, that is all that I can do for Kunagisa
”So, shi+to-kun -- why are you here?”
“Ah? What's that?” shi+to-kun asked back with doubt “Whaddaya mean Why I'm here?”
“You do not need to answer if you do not want to I just figured I'd ask to break the aard silence I just thought it was odd that you would be here so young”
”So young, eh Is that some sort of sarcasm?”
shi+to-kun went silent for a bit I did not say anything either, not expecting a response, but eventually shi+to-kun opened his mouth and said, ”I like that professor”
”That professor -- you mean Professor Shadou Kyouichirou?”
”Of course Mad De person I don't knohat's up with that Kunagisa, but you're the same, aren't you?” shi+to-kun asked me ”You're with her because you like her, yeah?”
”Like or dislike does that not seem a childish notion, shi+to-kun?” I slowly shook my head ”It is not that simple It is just not that simple If it were, it would make so much more sense”
“”
”No, perhaps it is that simple? Maybe it is actually simpler So simple that I do not know, complex and intricate because it is so simple and obvious -- may be what it is She happened to be in front of ht be so fit You know, like a digital clock You just spontaneously look and find the nu like that, and there is no reason whatsoever to it -- that sort of thing”
”I don't really get it”
”Probably Along hat I do not knoould like to clarify awith shi+to-kun I am not her lover I do not knohy, but it see like that -- she is a friend, a friend”
”Huh? Aren't you two too friendly to be friends? Boy and girl, too”
”There is no such thing as being too friendly for friends And gender is irrelevant for friendshi+p In any case, I do not kno she feels about being called such a thing, but personally I do not find it very pleasant shi+to-kun, you would find it unpleasant to be called professor Kyouichirou's lover, right?”
shi+to-kun folded his arms
“… I would”
“Of course you would And that is how it is At the very least, it is againstto tie everything into romance,” I held out both hands “And someone else is my lover”
”Really What sort?”
”A high school girl who attends a super elite ojousama school She is a first-year, so she is fifteen? Her nas, and is a pretty cute too out to eat ice creaether a lot She et the cone Well, thus is the weakness of being in love”
“ Sounds like a made-up story”
”That would be because about half of it is made up”
”Hah You're a con artist”
”And you are a mochi maker”
”Yeah, yeah Every New Years we knead it like so and so, and then hammer it and ha the straightman for you in a place like this!?”
”Well, I was actually not expecting a straightman”
It was funfun of shi+to-kun
However, it appeared shi+to-kun did not find it so a, “Cut it out, jeez”
”Not that you would-- h of which, what's your name? You haven't told me yet You were the only one who didn't introduce yourself back then”
Hmm? I tilted my head to the side Given what Neo-san had said, it was clear that professor Kyouichirou had investigated us already, so I had assumed that it was probable that they also knew h? Or perhaps they had assuisa To out Ah, no, that is wrong Regardless of whether they knew uide Kunagisa Tomo and her associates, so he reat admiration for the professor earlier, but would he still feel the same if he were to find out hoas actually viewed? As an ally that had been deceived for the purpose of deceiving the enemy?
“”
Well, he probably could The explanation made sufficient sense, after all
”Hey, what's wrong? Do you not have a name?”
“Well Hmm My name is Spooky E”
“ Uh huh”
I had braced myself with some level of expectation, but this tihtman Rather, he seemed to respond coldly to it
” U to say that because it's E you're called Ii-chan -- that supposed to be the punchline?”
”Correctly so, rightly so”
””
”Idachi Ikuyo would suffice”
””
shi+to-kun see away and sighing deeply, returned to the original subject, ”Not that you would--”
”Not that you would understand why I'm here, even if I were to explain the reason Of course you can't, you can't possibly get it”
”Right No one likes being told that other people kno they feelSpeaking of which, this April, Iabout other peoples' thoughts”
”Ah? Another one of your lies”
”This is o into details In any case, it is a person from whole thing”
”Basically, a y?”
A very logical interpretation I nodded, ”That is one way to look at it”
”shi+to-kun, what do you think? About those things”
”What do I think? Of course I hate that crap,” shi+to-kun tilted his head atyour thoughts out in the open all the time, at the very least, wouldn't be pleasant It's just like you said”
”No, I did not mean that Not our side, but how do you think they feel? Knowing everything that other people are thinking”
”Pretty convenient, isn't it?”
” ConvenientPerhaps”
I nodded at shi+to-kun's anshich came without any hesitation whatsoever But if that fortune-teller were to hear that, ould have received some sort of retort
Ahh, come to think of it
Even with that fortune-teller's ability to read isa Tomo's mind could not be read One could theorize that the reason that Kunagisa Tomo's mind could not be read was because it was far too deep Her brain was processing so much more than a normal person that it would be incredibly difficult to decipher as going on inside
And just then, Mysterious Object X passed by the side of our s room -- no, I know of its identity now, so the janitor maid robot passed by This time, the steel cylinder did not ht down the hall I see, that robot is stationed at every research ward
”So you were the one who made that janitor maid robot, shi+to-kun?”
”Ah?” shi+to-kun furrowed his brows ”Well, yeah, right But where'd you hear that?”
”Neo-san”
”--That bastard,” shi+to-kun clicked his tongue in irritation ”Freakin' loose lips”
”Calling a senior a bastard is quite wrong But that is still ad Yes, I prefer an old type of maid, but I do not think that sort of new type is bad”
”Stop calling it a maid robot Only Neo-san says that crap”
Without any se,” as if being praised for such a trivial thing waselse
”Even ele as they have the parts and tools”
”Indeed That would be the difference with the older type of maids”
I nodded in agreement, but I actually prefer the older type of maids
” Hey, shi+to-kun One more question about maids”
”What?”
”I heard Utsurigi-san does not leave this place, but is that true?”
”Leaving the question of how that relates to maids at all aside” shi+to-kun asked back with suspicion ”Where'd you hear that?”
”Umm This was from Neo-san too”
”” shi+to-kun froze in place with his posture ” shi+t That bastard”
”I said calling a senior a bastard is quite wrong”
”That bastard is that bastard He's a guy, so he's a bastard I'o by seniority, I've got seniority on Neo-san I've been here longer Neo-san's the newest one here, after all Yeah So what's up? Utsurigi-san hasn't taken a single step out of here -- is that a problem for you?”
”No, that is not what I”But indeed, this place is filled with quirky people Utsurigi-san, of course, but it is hard to call you ordinary as well, and professor Kyouichirou and Koutari-san and Neo-san and Dr Kokoro of talented people Mad Demon seems to not refer solely to professor Kyouichirou”
”I'm ordinary Don't be subtly rudeHmm? Hey you, you've met not just Koutari-san and Neo-san, but also Miyoshi+-san?”
”Ah, no not like that I just know of Miyoshi+ Kokoroh rumors She has quite a colorful trail of huical dissection, so even I know of her”
”Really, now Well, that person is pretty famous and she did here she worked before she cauess it's not that odd that you'd know of her Anyways, I'm ordinary Not just me, everyone's ordinary We may look odd from the perspective of a commoner like you, but that's just a problem with your level of comprehension”
”Hmm that may be the case That probably is the case”
I nodded, but it was questionable as to whether Utsurigi was part of that everyone However, I decided not to pursue that isa would become part of that conversation, and I did not have confidence that I could remain calm if that happened
”A problem with my level of comprehension”
Is that the case? That may be the case That may not be the case However, probably, it is the case Such is how these things are In the end, the problem comes back to ical matter It was like Murphy's Law
According to which, all difficult equations boil down to an answer of either zero or one
”Zero, eh”
Then, I heard the creaking sound of a hinge I turnedout of the room She closed the door behind her, swiveled her head about, and froze completely when our eyes met
”Ah, Ii-chan, discovered!”
Kunagisa said, and then she ran over Just when youroo her pace In fact, she seemed to accelerate, and then juh, and skillfully reducing her iht her
”Heheeeh,” Kunagisa seele as she wrapped her ar me ”I'm home, Ii-chan”
I hesitated for a moment, and then responded, ”Welcome home, Tomo”
We were as natural as we had always been
For now, this was sufficient Alright, I thought
Think of it as alright
” Thanks for that sight, but,” shi+to-kun groaned with displeasure ”If we're done here, let's get back Go flirt so you two back to the Professor when theis done”
”You seerunt than an assistant”
”Shut up! I'll kill you!” he said irritably (not that I fault his anger) Standing up abruptly, he sauntered off I tried to follow after hio, so all I could do was stand up
”Hey, Too for now”
”Uly quickly let go And then she turned to shi+to-kun ”shi+to-chan, wait a second”
”Ah? Why do I hafta wait? Are you going to hug me too?”
”As if Ulance And then she looked back at shi+to-kun ”Wants to talk to Ii-chan”
”Ah? What?” ”Ah? What?”
shi+to-kun's doubt-filled voice and my surprised voice were almost completely in harmony shi+to-kun's voice would be the bass and my voice the tenor However, a short duet of two men was not particularly pleasant to hear shi+to-kun and I ended up steeped in an aard silence, and so in an effort to get away froain, ”What?”
”I said Sacchan wants to talk to Ii-chan”
”Is that so?”
”Why!?” shi+to-kun shouted No, i-san want to talk to this guy?”
”This ti froree with that opinion Toi say he wanted to talk to me?”
”I dunno,” Kunagisa answered indifferently ”Anyways, when boku-sa the room, Sacchan said, Can you ask the boy whose eyes were like those of a dead fish to come in? I would like to speak to him, just the two of us”
”All he said was the boy whose eyes were like those of a dead fish, right? Thenabout shi+to-kun”
”Of course not” ”Of course not”
This time it was the duet of a soprano and a bass
”It's obviously you” ”It's obviously Ii-chan”
”Of course” ”Of course”
A hy on I said, ”Well, that aside,” and forcibly interrupted the hymn
”Let us leave what i?”
”I said, I don't know Don't ask boku-saisa, pointing at the door she just cah ”Go ahead and take the chance to talk to him, Ii-chan It'll probably be fun Boku-sama-chan ait here”
And then Kunagisa plopped herself down on the sofa shi+to-kun caoing on, jeez”
”You two really can't be helped Well, be off with you then I'll be waiting here, too”
”You could go back, you know”
”And I said that if I did, you touldn't be able to get out Why do you think I' else to do?” shi+to-kun slapped the table ”Hey, hurry up and go”
”Alright I understand”
Anyways, it seei called for me, but I did not seem to have any other option I did not really want to, but it seeisa, ”Be careful, and shout if anything happens,” outside of earshot of shi+to-kun, walked across the hall, and stopped in front of the door
I turned around to face Kunagisa
”Hey!”
I shouted
”Toi?”
”It was fun”
It was a siisa Toht now, currently, I lacked an understanding of that -like What did itthat sier knew It was like a deteriorating copy had begun seeping through to the back of the sheet
My thoughts regarding Kunagisa, and Kunagisa's thoughts regarding me
Perhaps this is the decisive isa Toht next to shi+to-kun over there should be the Kunagisa Toht as I knocked on the door and pulled it open
”Yo -- nice to meet you”
And
I had not even entered when I was greeted by that high tone It was a voice that could fool anyone into believing that it came from a woman, like a forced falsetto, the sort of voice that could absolutely not be called mellow, like the sound of a sharpened blade
I entered the roo the door behind i sh
He was sitting on the steel-piped chair, the one and only piece of furnishi+ng for the roos were crossed, he had adopted a codown upon me, and he peered at my expression
No words cale word came to mind
”--I wish you would not tighten up so i was the one to eventually speak ”You were like that before e had a glimpse of each other, you know Why do you look at me like a sworn enemy? It's been quite some time since I've spoken to a hu to you yet, hey? You know, shi+to-kun is the way he is, so he won't speak to me or look at me or even come close to me whenever we cross paths, and the others never come this way Despite appearances, I love company very much I'm a purely lonely So lonely, so lonely that it cannot be helped That's why, if you will, please, say so?”
”Quite some time?”
I tilted my head to the side at that At the same time, I felt some of my nervousness dissipate At the very least, he seemed like someone who I could converse with I i, and leaned against the wall to the right I turned toward Utsurigi once more
”What are you talking about? Were you not just speaking to Kunagisa?”
”With Dead Blue? Woah there,” Utsurigi chuckled It was a terribly human-like action, which I suppose is obvious, but because it was obvious, I felt a terrible sense of misplacement ”Oh, please I don't knohat to say to that Shouldn't you know that best? Or are you saying that Dead Blue --Kunagisa To?”
””
”Co with that is an impossible task for anyone Impossible for ht?”
While he see, as expected, I did not sense even a bit of lightheartedness behind those eyes It was like he aiting to pounce on any opening I gave, such was his expression I care-freely responded, ”I do not think so”
”More ii-san”
”Utsurigi suffices Also, why don't you take a seat, instead of standing there?”
”On the floor?”
”It's cleaned often, so it's not dirty Of course, it wasn't I that cleaned it, but rather the machine that shi+to-kun made”